Frankie taking his sweet time!
There was four of us going (myself, Dan, Frank, and Chris), so we took an 11.5" raft to r3 and then a creek boat kayak for the 4th. We weren't sure what to expect from the gorges because the flows were quite a bit lower (500cfs in the Middle Fork) then we would have liked. But it didn't prevent us from making a day of it.
We ran the Middle Fork first. Because the flow was so low some of the rapids were a bit tighter and steeper making them really fun. The continuos 1.5 mile run went really fast! We ran the South Fork Gorge second, and it was even lower flow so it was even tighter and steeper and faster. We had good clean lines, no swimmers, no carnage, and a lot of cold water winter boating fun.
Oregon Hole
Photo Credit: Will Volpert
The Smith River is by far one of the most gorgeous river's in our area. The combination of the clear water, the california warmth, and the redwoods is unbeatable, and if you time it right you can see some massive Salmon. The easy road-side access also makes logistics a breeze for shuttling and doing multiple runs in the same day. There is also a lot of variety in the difficulty level which can accommodate all skill and comfort levels.
Dan somewhere in the South Fork
Photo Credit: Will Volpert
There are a lot of different write ups out there about the Smith, but here are our favorites: California Creek's, and Oregon Rafting.
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